2015/12/29

Solimar Fire & Snow

On our Saturday flight we saw these patches of snow around distant Reyes Peak, and it kindled hope for some easing of our epic drought.

7015 Snow Dusted Reyes

Alas, between Ventura and Carp we also saw a stark reminder that the drought isn’t over yet, in the form of the Solimar Fire.

6946 Solimar Beach Burn

The little community there narrowly escaped the flames as you can see in this next pic.

6958 Close Call

With the strong winds, the fire jumped Hwy.101 and the railroad tracks but crews managed to stop it at the old Pacific Coast Highway just short of the homes. Up in the hills we saw bright red PhosChek laid down in lines to stop the fire from moving East toward Ventura.

6976 Red Lines

The fire seems to have respected their red lines, but it must have been quite a battle as embers filled the air and landed on bone dry scrub brush. The hills are so dry it’s not always easy to tell from the air where the burned areas are. We also happened to spot this helicopter dropping water on a hot spot as crews watched from a safe distance.